Upcycling culled wine grapes: Chateau Mercian collaborates with Katsunuma Winery to create "Far Yeast Grapevine 2023," a limited edition release on Tuesday, November 7th

In collaboration with Mercian Viticole Katsunuma Co., Ltd., a farmland-owning corporation that cultivates grapes at Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery (Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture), we will be releasing a limited edition "Far Yeast Grapevine 2023," made from grapes that have been picked for wine, on Tuesday, November 7th .

■ Utilizing approximately 600 kg of grapes that were destined to return to the soil
When cultivating grapes for wine, a process called "bunch thinning" is carried out to thin out the bunches so that each fruit receives sufficient nutrients and produces delicious, concentrated grapes. The harvested grapes are then returned to the soil. In 2021, we teamed up with Mercian Viticol Katsunuma, located in the Katsunuma region of Yamanashi Prefecture, a major wine-producing region in Japan, to begin an initiative to upcycle grapes that were not used for winemaking into craft beer. This year marks the third year of the initiative.
The fruit that has been removed from the clusters has a low sugar content and is not suitable for winemaking, but it has enough sugar content to be used in beer. By utilizing this, we are able to reduce food waste and recycle the fruit into aromatic beer.

■This year we are using fragrant Koshu and Syrah
"Far Yeast Grapevine" is a limited edition product made with Yamanashi grapes, released every year in a different style as part of the "Yamanashi Support Project," which promotes Yamanashi through beer. This year, two types of grapes, "Koshu," a white wine variety unique to Yamanashi, and "Syrah," a red wine variety, are used.

By combining it with Nelson Sauvin hops, we have created a Juicy IPA * that allows you to enjoy a more mellow grape aroma.

* Juicy IPA:
This style is defined as "Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale" in the American Brewers Association's Beer Style Guidelines. It focuses on bringing out the "juicy flavor" of hops and is characterized by its cloudy appearance. It is currently one of the most popular styles among avid craft beer fans around the world. Despite being a new beer style defined in 2018, it was the category with the most entries in both 2019 and 2020 at the Great American Beer Festival, the most prestigious beer tasting event in the United States.

Our company has focused on thiol, an aromatic compound that has been gaining attention in beer brewing technology in recent years, and is focusing on creating products with unprecedented aromas. Koshu is a variety that is rich in thiol.
Syrah, native to the warm climate of southern France, is a variety that Château Mercian has been focusing on cultivating in Yamanashi in recent years as they work to cultivate new varieties in response to recent climate changes. In 2019, Château Mercian Kamoidera Syrah 2017 won the top prize in its category at the Japan Wine Competition, and there are high hopes for its cultivation in the prefecture in the future.

In late August, our staff also visited the vineyards of Chateau Mercian Kamoidera Vineyard in Yamanashi City to thin the bunches. Using approximately 600 kg of purchased thinned fruit, we fermented 3,000 liters of product.

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■ Juicy IPA made with carefully extracted aromatic components from thinned grapes
Far Yeast Grapevine 2023 has a beautiful golden color and an appealing aroma that makes full use of the aromatic compound thiol . Enjoy the white grape-like aroma of fruit and Nelson Sauvin hops, as well as the mysterious flavor of freshly picked grapes.

"Far Yeast Grapevine 2023" will be available for purchase in limited quantities on the Far Yeast Brewing official web store from 12:00 on Tuesday, November 7th. Purchases on the official web store and shipments to beer bars, restaurants, and liquor stores nationwide will begin sequentially from Wednesday, November 8th.

Additionally, the bottle will be available for pre-opening at the Autumn Katsunuma Marche to be held at Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery on Saturday, November 4th and Sunday, November 5th . Be sure to enjoy it alongside new wine.

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Located in Yamanashi, the fruit kingdom, our company is working to reduce food waste while also aiming to establish the definitive deliciousness of grape beer. We will continue to brew this beer as a seasonal autumn product in collaboration with Mercian Viticole Katsunuma.

[Product overview]

Far Yeast Grapevine 2023
Sales start date: Tuesday, November 7th
Suggested retail price: Open price
Ingredients: Malt (imported), grapes (Koshu, Yamanashi Prefecture), oats, hops
Alcohol content: 6.5%
IBU: 20
Style: Juicy IPA
Product: Happoshu (malt content: 50% or more)
Brewery: Far Yeast Brewing (Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Specifications: 350ml can
*Click here to purchase from the online store: https://faryeast.stores.jp/　　

[About Chateau Mercian Katsunuma Winery]
"Making Japan a world-famous wine-producing region." To ensure that Japanese wine is beloved and enjoyed by people in Japan and around the world, Château Mercian preserves Japan's nature, culture, and sensibility, evolving them to bring joy to people. Château Mercian Katsunuma Winery originated from the Dai-Nippon Yamanashi Winery, founded in 1877 (Meiji 10) as Japan's first private winery. Château Mercian has three wineries in Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures, but Katsunuma Winery is the central winery of Château Mercian, producing over 80% of the company's total production. Toward the realization of our dream of "Making Japan a world-famous wine-producing region," we will continue to move forward into the future, centered around our winery, while coexisting with the local community and nature. https://www.chateaumercian.com/winery/katsunuma/ 

<Kirin Holdings Company, Limited Press Release>
~ Collaborative upcycling initiative using grapes from Château Mercian, aiming for sustainable winemaking ~ Far Yeast Brewing releases "Far Yeast Grapevine 2023"
https://www.kirinholdings.com/jp/newsroom/release/2023/1102_01.html　

[About the Yamanashi Support Project]
Far Yeast Brewing's "Yamanashi Support Project" began in July 2020 with the desire to revitalize local industry by brewing beer using local produce. In October of the same year, the company relocated its headquarters from Shibuya to Kosuge Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, where the brewery is located, further strengthening collaboration with producers and businesses within the prefecture. To date, the company has brewed products using local produce, including peaches, grapes, and plums from Kosuge Village, where the brewery is located. Along with beer, the company is promoting the appeal of Yamanashi nationwide.

<Contact for inquiries regarding this matter>
For media representatives, click here
Far Yeast Brewing Co., Ltd. Public Relations Officer: Sasaki
Mail: pr@faryeast.com Phone: 03-6849-2812

For customers, liquor stores, and restaurants, click here
Mail: sales@faryeast.com Phone: 050-3135-3926